Controlling apparatus for heating systems



Sept. 1, 1 925. 1,552,053 E. H. DAVIS CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR HEA'I'ING SYSTEMS Filed May 4. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l E. H. DAVIS CONTROLLING APPARATUSVFOR HEATING SYSTEIS Se t 1, 1925. 1,552,053

Filed May 4. 1925 2 shaeta sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN HALSTED DAVIS, 0F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEAM PUMP COMPANY, OF BATTLE CREEK, MIOHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

application filed May 4, 1925. Serial No. 28,039.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Apparatus for Heating Systems; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to heating systems which are provided with a receiving tank into which the water of condensation flows by gravity from the return heating pipes and a pump is provided for withdrawing water from the receiving tank and returning it to the boiler whenever the water of condensation in the receiving tank rises above a predetermined level; heretofore'the pump has been either a steam pump, or an electrically operated pump; the operation of such pump being usually'controlled by a float valve in the receiving tank.

The steam pumps are ordinarily used where the steam pressure is maintained any where from a minimum of say 15 pounds up to a maximum pressure of say 150 pounds. Such steam pumps Wlll. operate efficiently and economically undersuch pressures; but as well known there 1s a larger demand upon the heating system during the day than at night, and th steam pres sure is usually allowed to drop in the night,

' when the furnaces are banked, and at times the pressure drops so low that the steam pump will not operate, and excessive condensate accumulates in the receiver and is liable to flood the receiver, and the heating system is not properly drained and little or no heat is delivered from the radiators or coils.

By my invention I obviate the danger of flooding the receiver or failure of the heating system by usingwith the sameheating system both a steam pump of the character above mentioned and an electric motor driven centrifugal pump, the steam pump being adapted to operate at steam pressures of say from 15 to 150 pounds and the electrical pump being adapted to operate at pressures from Zero to 15 pounds, and only during the time when the pressure is so low 111 the boilers that the steam pump can not operate.

The object of the present invention is to obtain high efficiency and economy of operation of such heating systems by providing a novel controlling apparatus consisting essentially of a receiving tank, a steam drlven pump, a motor driven centrifugal pump and two float controls in the tank, one for the steam pump and one for the electric pump, these controls being so arranged that one operates to cause the steam pump to function when the pressure! is high; and when the pressure drops too low the other control operates to cause the elec-' tric pump to function. Thes parts are arranged to operate automatically. The steam driven pump is adapted to work during the-daytime, and is automatically controlled, as regards obtaining steam to operate it, according to the elevation of the water in tank. The steam pump however is so proportioned that it cannot operate when the steam drops below a minimum pressure (say f. i. 15 pounds); but when this happens (which is during the night when the pressure in the boilers drops be low such minimum) the water accumulates in the tank, above the line required to operate the steam float control, but when the water level reaches a predetermined excess level the electrically driven pump control float is operated to start the electric motor driven pump. In the morning when the steam pressure is built up beyond 15 pounds the steam driven pump will automatically begin to function and the motor driven pump is then automatically kept out of operation. I

The accompanying drawings show one practical embodiment of the invention, and

I will describe the same with reference thereto and refer to the claims for summaries of the essentials of the invention and novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a complete apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof.

In said drawings the receiving tank 1 may be ofany suitable construction, and is provided with an inlet 1 which is connected by a pipe S to the heating system (not shown) and throughv which water .of condensation thesystem is drained into the tank; The tank has an outlet in its lower side, connected with a drum 1*, which is connected by a pipe 1 with the pumping end 2 of a steam pump 2. The steam pump may be of any desired construction, being shown as a reciprocating pump. A valve 1 may be inter-posed in the pipe 1 between the tank and steam pump so that the pump may be shut oil, if desired, f. i. for purposes of repair or otherwise.

Steam is supplied from a boiler (not shown) to the valve chamber of the steam cylinder 29 of the pump 2 by a pipe 4, which maybe provided with a cut-ofl valve 45*, and is .connected w ith the outlet of a valve 5 (of any suitable construction) adjacent the receiving tank 1. The inlet of valve 5 is connected by a pipe 4 with the boiler (not shown) of-the heating system. The valve 5 is controlled by a valve rod 5 extending into the tank and provided with a float 5 This valverod 5 is so located that when the water in the tank rises toabout the level incheated by the dotted line in Figure 2, the float 5 would beraised sufficiently to open valve-5and admit steam through pipe 4' to the steam pump, and the latter would be operatedand withdraw water from the tank until the water leveltherjein is suflicien-tly lowered to permit float 5 to close the valve 5.

' The outlet head 1 is, also connected by ;a pipe P with a motor-drum pumpr3, which is preferably a ce-ntr-ifugal'pumpof any suitable qoasaucuonuriven an electric mo: tor 3 'connected with the rotor oft-he pump byashaft j3 -in-the1-1-sual manner. A valve interposed-in the pipe 1 so that, the pump befshut off if desired; i. to make repairs; "The particular construction of thesteam pump, orIof-the electric pump, formsfno fe ture of-the present-invention.

From'the steam pump water maybe, delivered to apipe 2-P; leading to the boiler: (not shown) "and water may "be delivered from the pump 3 to the boiler by a pipe '3 Insteadof loading to the boiler the pipes 2 and 3 leadto any othersui-t; able and desired point of discharge.

A second float? is placed in the receiving mar na connectedto a rod'? which extends through a stufling box-in the top of the tank and 'is provided with collars 7 arranged above and below a switch lever 6 projecting from an electric switch 6 of any suitable construction mounted on the receiver adj acent therod'i. The rod 7 and'float Twill be suspended'by leverG above the'float 5*,

as indicated in Figure 1, and above the level w-:rof the water which would operate float 5 and normally hold the switch 6 closed.

The electric switch 6 may be of any well known construction and need not be described herein, and is interposed in the electrical circuit which connects the motor 3 with a suitable source of electricity, not shown, said conductor being merely conventionally indicated in the drawings.

If the water accumulates in the receiving tank above the level indicated at xm in Figure 2, it will begin to lift the float 7; and if the water should rise in the receiver to the level indicated by the line y in Fig ure 2 the float 7 would rise and cause rod 7 to actuate lever o and close switch 6, and the electric circuit through motor 3 would be closed and pump 3 would be operated to withdraw water from the receiver,

The steam pump is designed to operate efficiently at any minimum steam pressure, say fifteen pounds, such as is ordinarily re.- quired in the operation of the heating sys? tem during the day, and when such a'pressure is maintained in the steamboileri At night, when the boilers are usually banked, the steam pressure drops below this minimum and therefore the pump 2 will not operate even though the float 5 is raised to open the valve 5; and water will therefore accumulate in the receiving tank and :rise above the float 5", and if it filled the tank the system would-become clogged, and the apparatus be seriously injured, if it were not for the provision of the electrical pump and its float controlas above described.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the steam-pump andthe motor driven pump ordinarily operate. atv diflerent times, (although under unusual conditions of excessive inflow 01f waterinto the receiving tank they might operate simultaneously un til water is lowered belowthe lovely-y and the float 7 descends). The electrical pump 3 is adapted to operate when athesteam-pressure becomes so low thats-it can not operate the steam pump and pump2 is adapted. to operate when the steam pressureis at or above the minimum.

In the ordinary operation of the apparatus whenthe water raises the float 5 in the reoeiverthe valve .5 opens and allows live steam to go over to the steam cylinder of the pump 2 thereby starting same. When the steam pressure drops below the minimum (say 15 pounds) then even though the float 5 is raised to position toopenvalve 5 and admit steam to the pump 2 the latter will not operate; and the water continues toaccumulate inthe receiving tank until itv raises the float 7 thereby starting the electrical motorand centrifugal pump. As'soon as either pump beginsto take thewateraway f om the receiving ank the related floa t ciently lowered the pump will be put out of operation until the related float is again raised by the accumulation of water in the tank, as above described.

I claim:

1. A controlling apparatus for heating systems of the character specified; comprising a receiving tank, a steam valve, a steam pump for withdrawing water from the tank, an electrically driven pump for withdrawing water from the tank, means for automatically controlling the admission of steam to the steam pump adapted to operate at a predetermined level of water in the tank, and means for automatically operat ing the electrically driven pump at a predetermined higher level of water in the tank.

2. A controlling apparatus for heating systems of the character specified; comprising a receiving tank, a steam valve, a steam pump for withdrawing water from the tank, an electric motor driven pump for withdrawing water from the tank, means within the tank controlling the admission of steam to the steam pump and adapted to operate at one level of water in the tank; and means in the tank controlling the operation of the electric pump adapted to operate at a higher level of water in the tank.

3. A controlling apparatus for heating systems of the character specified; comprising a receiving tank, floats therein adapted to operate at difierent levels of water in the receiving tank, a steam pump for withdrawing water from the tank, means where by the operation of said steam pump is controlled by the lower level float; an electrically driven pump for withdrawing water from the tank, and means whereby the operation of the electrically driven pump is controlled by the upper level float.

4. A controlling apparatus for heating systems of the character specified; comprising a receiving tank, a steam pump for withdrawing water from the tank, an electrically driven pump for withdrawing water from the tank, a steam supply valve controlling the admission of steam to the steam pump, means for operating said steam valve at a predetermined level of water in the tank; a switch for opening and closing the circuit to the motor of the electrically actuated pump; and means for closing said switch at another predetermined higher level of water in the tank.

5. A controlling apparatus for heating systems of the character specified; comprising a receiving tank, a steam pump for withdrawing water from the tank, an electrically driven pump for withdrawing water from the tank, a steam supply valve controlling the admission of steam to the steam pump, a float in the receiver and connections for operating said steam valve, a switch for opening and closing the circuit to the electrically actuated pump; and a second float in the receiver and connections for operating said switch, the float controlling the electrical pump being operated when the water in the tank reaches a higher level than is required for the operation of the float controlling the steam valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature.

EDWIN HALSTED DAVIS. 

